


And You Hear a Lullaby

by TheTyger



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, John in Afghanistan, M/M, Nightmares, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sherlock's Violin, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 17:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTyger/pseuds/TheTyger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John sat shivering in a cold sweat, awakened by his own screams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And You Hear a Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> "As the light goes out,  
> Thought turn to angels over us  
> As the night comes in,  
> Dreams start their drifting  
> And you hear a lullaby."  
> \- Lullaby by OneRepublic

John rolled onto his back and tucked one hand under his head, staring at the ceiling with puffy, bloodshot eyes. The red numbers on his clock informed him that it was three forty-one in the morning. He closed his eyes and sighed miserably. He was just... _so_ tired. But he couldn't sleep. Although, John thought, he wasn't sure he wanted to. He wasn't sure he could close his eyes without seeing Afghanistan. People shouting, burning, dying, screams and gunshots tearing at his ears... He shivered and pulled the cover over his head.

* * *

 

_He was running, dragging the other man along with him. The man groaned, leaning on him weakly. Blood soaked into his shirt. Someone screamed, and he stumbled along faster, the injured man's legs tangling with his and tripping him._

_**Bang.** _

_He dragged the man into the tent and laid him down, fumbling for bandages._

_**Bang.** _

_S_ _omeone crashed to the ground just outside. He pushed the tent open, looking out with frantic eyes._

_**Bang.** _

_He- He'd known that man. Had talked to him only a few hours ago._

_Someone screamed his name. He tore his stare away from the body at his feet, met a pair of terrified brown eyes about ten meters away._

_**Bang.** _

_Those eyes were the last thing he saw before the world exploded._

* * *

 

John sat shivering in a cold sweat, awakened by his own screams. He let out a shuddering breath and scrubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes, curling into himself and listening to the light footsteps circling the flat. Sherlock shouldn't have been awake. He hadn't slept in a week.

He heard a soft melody drifting to him. He lifted his head from his knees and caught a glimpse of the figure silhouetted in his doorway, ice-blue eyes lightly closed as he slid the bow over the violin's strings. The gentle notes washed over John, soothing his racing heartbeat as he drifted off again.

* * *

 

When John woke again, sunlight was streaming from the small window. Sherlock was curled comfortably on his side, facing away from John. _Finally got some sleep_ , John thought with some relief. He rolled over and wrapped his arm around Sherlock's waist, nuzzling his nose in between his shoulder blades as the detective's hand moved to cover his own.

"Thank you," John whispered.


End file.
